


Life Loves Julie

by AnissaDesiree



Series: Everyone Loves Julie [1]
Category: Dead by Daylight (Video Game)
Genre: Abandonment, Absent Parents, Attraction, Character Study, Chemistry, Child Abandonment, Dark Character, Dark Past, Drama, Dubious Ethics, Dubious Morality, F/F, F/M, Family Drama, Family Feels, Family Issues, Family Secrets, Feels, Female Friendship, Female Protagonist, First Meetings, Friendship, Gen, High School, Identity Issues, Identity Reveal, Impulse Control, Inner Dialogue, Jealousy, Lawyers, Loneliness, Love at First Sight, Male-Female Friendship, Minor Violence, Neglect, Orphanage, School, Secret Identity, Secrets, Serial Killers, Teenage Drama, Teenagers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-23
Updated: 2020-07-23
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:42:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25472587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnissaDesiree/pseuds/AnissaDesiree
Summary: Juliette „Julie“ Campbell lead the picture perfect life.She was pretty, popular in school, lived with her rich lawyer parents in a big mansion in the best location in town and apparently missed nothing.Well, Julie herself found her life far from perfect...
Relationships: Joey/Julie (Dead by Daylight), Julie Kostenko/Frank Morrison, Julie Kostenko/Joey, Julie Kostenko/Original Characters, Julie Kostenko/Original Female Character(s), Julie Kostenko/Original Male Character(s), Julie Kostenko/Susie, Julie/Frank Morrison, Julie/Susie (Dead by Daylight)
Series: Everyone Loves Julie [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1845139
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Our girl Julie is way too underrated. So, time to fix that. ;)  
> English is not my native language, please bare with me. :)  
> Reviews are much appreciated. Enjoy! <3

**J** uliette „Julie" Campbell lead the picture perfect life.

She was pretty, popular in school, lived with her rich lawyer parents in a big mansion in the best location in town and apparently missed nothing.

Well, Julie herself found her life far from perfect.

She lay grumpily on her broad four-poster bed and sighed deeply, her wavy blonde hair framing her face like a still life.

Born and raised in the small Canadian town of Ormond, Julie had never been out of this sleepy place all her life.

Meanwhile, her older sister Genevieve traveled around the world and, after visiting enough foreign countries and gaining new and exciting experiences, would go on to study law at Harvard.

"Uggh…" Julie made an ugly grimace on her beautiful face.

Gen had always been her parents' favorite child.

The firstborn. The role model. The privileged.

Julie was always in her shadow, no matter what she did to please her parents or otherwise stand out.

The highest score in math? Gen had done it ten times. An award for extra-curricular achievements? Gen had been given this two years earlier already.

With every defeat, with every rejection Julie felt more and more out of favor with her parents, while Gen's light shone brighter and brighter.

After years of constant comparison with her sister, Julie's jealousy, envy and bitterness had become constant companions, even if she could hide these feelings behind a smile.

If only her parents took a closer look, they would see that the smile never reached her emerald green eyes.

To distract herself, she turned on the radio and searched the frequency to her favorite station. But instead of the latest power ballad, there was a special feature about serial killers.

"…it is. This killer couple of Canada was special. In a very negative sense. Cruel, cold, unpredictable. Almost Bonnie and Clyde 2.0.", reported a woman's voice that sounded like a cop.

'Who are these people they are talking about?' Julie wondered.   
Before her curiosity could be satisfied though, the interview was ended, causing Julie to pout in frustration.

"Thank you for your time, Detective. Evil never sleeps, my dear listeners. Even today, there are still some serial killers on our streets who are not afraid of anything. For this topic we invited another guest to the studio, a new aspiring journalist from the Roseville Gazette. Welcome, Mr. Jed Olsen."

"Thank you, Lola. I'm glad to be here," responded a full male voice.

Julie pricked up her ears.

"Mr. Olsen, you are 25 years old, have only been at the Gazette for a few months, but have already caused quite a stir in Roseville with your newspaper articles. What is all the fuss about?"

Jed Olsen cleared his throat dramatically. "Well, my articles deal with the latest infamous Roseville murders, in which young and old victims were cruelly stabbed in their houses after long days of stalking."

The interviewer made a horrified sound. Julie remembered reading about the Roseville murders a few days ago and made a mental note to create a new page in her secret scrapbook for the killer in charge.

Jed Olsen's melodious voice brought her back to the here and now.

"I succeeded in doing what the incapable Roseville police hadn't been able to do for weeks: The elusive Ghost Face caught on tape!"

While the interviewer groaned in surprise, Julie could clearly hear his triumphant smile and her neck hair rose. Because of unease or something else, she couldn't say for sure.

'The Ghost Face, huh...' Julie muttered, amused and intrigued at the same time.

When she wanted to continue listening to his interview, she was suddenly interrupted.

"Miss Juliette? Please hurry up, or you'll be late for school," her housekeeper Amy called from below through the half-open door.

A look at her watch unfortunately confirmed this statement and after a last listen to Jed Olsen's confident laugh, Julie turned off the radio.

Her parents were absent again. Dad on the end of a business trip and mom in the office with clients. Julie would not be surprised if her mother had made herself a cozy bedroom in the office as often as she was there.

Julie sighed again and then called out: "I'm coming...".

With a sweep of her long, sporty legs, she straightened up from the bed, running a hand through her hair. A look in the full-length mirror on the opposite wall revealed a young girl in tight blue jeans, a red t-shirt and a lined black leather jacket over it. All branded clothes, of course, her parents had a reputation to lose.

Julie rolled her eyes, grabbed her already packed backpack and went down the elegant spiral staircase to the kitchen.

"I put your food on the counter as always, Miss," Amy said in her polite but distant tone. Julie answered in the same tone. "Thanks, Amy."

While packing up her lunch box, she noticed the yellow sticky note on the fridge:

"Juliette, I have good news, dear. Your sister will make another stopover in Ormond today to visit us after the end of her tour! Is that not that great? We meet for dinner at 6 pm in "Chez Herbert". See you later and be on time! Your mother."

Julie snorted. 'Oh, how generous of Gen to pay us another visit on her tight schedule.'

Actually, Julie wanted to meet up with her best friends Susie and Joey. They hadn't seen each other for a while because of the school holidays and Julie missed them. Very much. But now she could forget that thanks to the audience with her sister.

She crumpled up the note, tossing it into the trash. 'Everything always dances according to her pipe. As soon as she calls, we have to come and stand at attention. I'm so tired of that...'

What did Gen do better than her? What made her particularly lovable? More lovable than Julie?

Julie would be 17 in exactly one week and her parents would not be there again. A lawyers' conference. An important lawyers' conference. More important than her daughter's birthday. More important than her _second_ daughter's birthday. They would have been there for Gen's birthday.

> _They were there, Jules. Already forgotten?_ A dark voice teased inside her head. A _nd what many things they gifted her. Material presents, yes, of course, but also compliments, affection, love. What will they give you, secondborn? Hmm?_

Overcome with anger, Julie's hands tightened around the expensive kitchen counter until they were almost white. But she didn't feel any physical pain. She felt something else…

A loud honk from outside brought her out of her dark thoughts.

With her eyebrows raised, Julie looked out the window and saw the face of her neighbor Bradley "Brad" Wilson peeping out of an apparently brand new Rolls-Royce.

'Daddy played the home advantage again, huh...', she murmured.

Brad's family was even richer than Julie's. They owed this immense wealth to Brad's father, an automobile mogul and lobbyist at its finest. Even star lawyers like their parents couldn't keep up.

The cold air blew on Julie's face, whirling her hair around, as she stepped outside and slid the front door shut behind her.  
As it was typical of Ormond, it had snowed lightly overnight.  
The snow crunched under Julie's boots as she headed towards the expensive car. Brad's eyes looked at her appreciatively from head to toe. "Good Morning. Can this gentleman escort the noble lady to school with his humble carriage today?" He smiled his slimiest smile.

Julie rolled her eyes, returning his smile in a sarcastic way. "You don't give up, do you?"

Brad was the only child of her parents' best friends, who happened to have moved up the street. When they first met four years ago and noticed that their children were the same age, the stupid attempts at coupling inevitably started.

"Wouldn't it be great if Juliette and Bradley were officially a couple? They look so neat together and would surely be the talk of the town", her mum always gushed to herself. "They would indeed go well together, honey. He should ask her for a rendezvous at times", her dad always agreed, while Brad's parents stood by and nodded.

Brad had been openly flirting and trying to impress her since Julie was 16. Be it out of his own interest or because of pressure from his parents' house. Probably both.

She was aware that she was far from ugly and the Campbell surname was a reasonable party for the Wilsons, but that did not replace real feelings. She was not a bit interested in Brad and deemed his romantic advances more badly than right.

Nevertheless, she did not look a gift horse in the mouth. She could take her own car, sure, but she didn't like driving on black ice.

"Come on, Julie," Brad called out to her. "You will be freezing your pretty ass off. I have heated seats." He honked his horn again and winked at her.

'Every good car has seat heating these days', Julie thought undismayed, but still moved towards the passenger door. She got in and stroked the expensive leather seats absentmindedly.

"You like it, huh? It's the newest model. Drives even better than it looks." He grinned proudly at her, turning up the radio on which the latest rock song was playing.

Julie hummed the tune as they headed for Ormond High.

The Campbells lived in the best area of town, or in the so-called snob neighborhood, as Julie preferred to call it. One expensive villa after another was lined up, with or without an indoor swimming pool. The most imposing house belonged to the Wilsons, it overshadowed everything nearby.

"Are you ready for the new school year? Only one more until graduation, darling."  
Ignoring the pet name, Julie nodded in agreement. "Yeah, about time. I can't wait to get out of here and study abroad." Brad's smile grew stiff. "Oh really? Do you really think that you..."

Julie turned her head and stared at him. "That I what...?"

He briefly pressed around before answering. "Well, why get out of here? What do you have against our beautiful home, Julie? There are mountains, snow, fresh air, me. What more do you want?" He laughed out loud, rubbing his gelled hair.

Julie suppressed an annoyed groan. Brad had, as expected, developed a giant ego over the years, considering himself the most sought-after bachelor in all of Ormond, so he found it absolutely impossible that this wasn't based on reciprocity.

She didn't expect Brad to understand her dreams or problems at all, so she was silent and smiled when he looked at her out of the corner of his eye. Her green eyes, however, remained cold like the frozen ice on the trees of the avenue they were driving through.

* * *

**B** efore she knew it, they parked in their school's spacious parking lot.

Yawning, Julie got out and stretched extensively. Her top briefly pushed up to her navel, on which there was a small piercing that she had taken with Susie a few months ago. Her parents had no idea about it until today.

'There are at least a few advantages to having workaholic parents,' Julie thought cynically.

She didn't miss Brad pausing and staring at her as if he wanted to memorize every cell of her freed, light skin. She smiled knowingly, dropped her arms and pulled her winter jacket shut with a jerk. Brad swallowed and looked up at her, caught.

"New school year, new luck. Shall we?" Julie asked, still smiling and walked toward the heavy front doors of the school without waiting for an answer. Brad followed her after a moment's hesitation, and Julie could still feel his eyes wandering longingly over her back.

Everyone stared or greeted them exuberantly as Julie and Brad walked down the aisles to their lockers. Julie had gotten used to the attention. After all, her and Brad's last names were known and valued throughout the city.

When Julie tried to turn the corner, Brad held her arm. "Hey, I'll see you later during training, right?"

Brad and her were each captain of the male and female Ormond High basketball teams, that mostly trained at the same time.

Julie nodded. "Sure. Thanks again for the ride."

Brad's eyes slowly moved from her green eyes to her lips. "You're welcome, my lady..."

It was quiet for a moment. Then Julie cleared her throat, breaking the awkward tension, which caused Brad to release her arm shortly afterwards.  
"So, umm, see you later then." He finally managed to look away from her and stroll over to his waiting buddies.

'Did he really think he would get a kiss as a thank you?!' Julie shook her head inside.

> _Admit it: You don't like him, but you like the attention he gives you. Poor, lonely, coldhearted Julie._

The voice seemed to be laughing at her. Julie just grumbled and silenced it.

She kept walking down the hall, all around her the students smiled and waved.

Another reason for Julie's fame and popularity was the fact that she hosted the best parties in town. As soon as she had a storm-free weekend, she practically invited all of the school's cool kids to her home to let loose and forget her boring, predictable life for at least one evening.  
It worked more or less.  
Especially when Susie and Joey were on board, the nights were unforgettable. She didn't know what she would do if her best friends weren't here with her. They were the only ones who understood who she really was, what she really felt.

'Family is more than just blood ties,' Julie thought when she got to her locker to take out her books. As always, she was greeted by the big picture of herself surrounded by her best friends skiing on Mount Ormond from 2 years ago and stroked over it affectionately.

Nonetheless, Julie longed for more. For something that turned her life upside down. Something that freed her from the golden bird cage she was in.

> _Something or someone? Be careful what you wish for_ , the dark voice whispered like a fortune teller.

Ignoring the voice, she glanced at her watch. 10 minutes until the first lesson.

A couple of girls and boys from her class scrabbled around her.

"Hey Julie. How are you?"

"Did you have great school holidays? Cool outfit, by the way. "

"Have you been to the spa? You look so relaxed, your skin is fantastic."

"Are you throwing a welcome back party again next weekend?"

The questions rolled over again.

Julie sighed inwardly, but, as always, smiled her 1000 watt smile. "Of course I'm throwing a party, guys."

Her admirers beamed at her and were already looking forward to it.

When they waved goodbye, a message popped up on Julie's cell phone display:

"Hey bestie. Bad news: I stumbled this morning and sprained my ankle (I know I'm such a klutz). At first I cried so loudly that my parents immediately sent me to the doctor who wrote me off for the day. At least they agree on one thing... I'll get back to you later. I love you! Suse."

Julie's mood immediately deteriorated. She had been looking forward to hugging her best friend again.  
Longing, but also worry spread through Julie. Not just about Susie's physical, but also mental health. Julie had not missed the allusion to her parents' situation. Susie's parents had been arguing over every little thing for some time now. Julie was still certain that Susie's dad had something to hide and that was why the house blessing was crooked.

When she was about to write an answer to her best friend, an unwelcome voice behind her interrupted her. "Oh, hello Juliette. Long time no see."

She turned around and looked into the smiling face of her unwanted rival and local mean girl Gina Smith, who brushed a lock of blonde hair behind her ears.

 _Unwanted_ rival because Julie couldn't care less who the Queen B(ee) was in this city. Far too much drama.  
She just wanted to live her life and get out of Ormond as soon as possible, but Gina apparently had other plans since they first met.  
Julie had seen through it quickly, however, and since then, often punished her with the one behavior that Gina couldn't handle: indifference.

"Well, we had school holidays. It's only logical that you don't see each other for a longer time..." a bored Julie replied, typing a text message to Susie on her cell phone.

Gina ignored her comment and went on steadfastly. "One hears that your big sister is back in town before Harvard. Genevieve must have experienced so much on her trip around the world. Your parents have to be so incredibly proud of her. I mean, she was the best in class, captain of the Ormond High cheerleading squad and now that. When I did my European tour last year, I certainly couldn't narrate everything in one evening."

Gina laughed her annoying laugh and watched Julie's reaction, hoping to hit a nerve. However, Julie only smirked while her emerald green eyes looked at Gina for the first real time that day.

"I see you dyed your hair blonde." Gina fell silent and stared at her. Julie's smirk widened. She demonstratively threw her own natural blonde hair over her shoulder, which was as smooth as silk whereas Gina's hair looked colorless and lackluster.

"You know, I envy that you never worry about your looks. It is so brave! After all, everyone knows that a copy will never have the class and elegance of the original."

The school bell rang. Gina's mouth opened in disbelief as Julie slammed her locker door shut, turning on the heel to go to her classroom. "See you around, Gina."

The rest of the morning was unspectacular. Julie took part in class to get good grades in her report which could help her study at a good university outside of Ormond. She already had her eye on a few sports colleges. She enjoyed basketball and was pretty good at it as well. So why not?

During the break, Joey finally got in touch and told her that he skipped school today to take care of his sickly mum.  
Julie felt for her best friend.  
Joey and his single mother have been living in rather poor conditions since his dad left the family shortly after Joey's 10th birthday. Mrs. Tremblay was completely overwhelmed with Joey's mostly uncontrolled temperament and had been suffering from deep depression as well as drug addiction for a long time.  
Julie sighed into the phone. "I have to go back to class. Will you call me later?" "Sure. Make them sweat, Jules."

* * *

**S** ince neither Susie nor Joey could keep her company during lunch break and she wanted to avoid further questioning by her admirers, Julie paid a visit to the lokal video store. There was not as much activity as usual, the corridors were clear and tidy. Julie walked past the ranks of new DVDs including billboards to the cash register to say hello to an old friend, but only met his unappealing colleague there.

"Jeffrey Johansen? Oh, he's not here today. Changed his shift with mine because he wanted to go back to one of his weird drawings for his great breakthrough. Tz, the dreamer."

Julie said nothing, frowning disapprovingly.

'Better a dreamer than a fat goose with no meaning in life', she thought disparagingly and turned around.

Jeff was a really talented artist and a good listener. She loved to come here late at night to chat with him about God and the world.

Jeff was born and raised in Ormond like herself, but was 10 years older than her. That didn't bother Julie at all though. While others felt intimidated by his stout body size, long dark beard, and heavy metal clothes, Julie knew that Jeff was a softie with a true heart of gold.

When she searched the old stock for a movie night with Susie and Joey in the far corner of the shop, a familiar voice sounded behind her, sending an uncomfortable shiver down her spine. "Well who do we have here? If that's not one of our famous regular customers."

Julie froze. 'No. Not him...'

Turning around slowly, she looked into the stocky face of the apparently newly hired janitor, Samuel Martin himself, who gave her a crooked contemptuous grin.

Julie took a moment to collect herself, but then defensively crossed her arms over her chest. "New job, Mr. Martin?"

"Yep. A fresh start, as they say. And I really need it after everything your snob daddy has done for me." He laughed sarcastically, leaning on his broom.

Julie kept an even expression on her face. "How so? You should be grateful that my father took over your criminal defense at all."

"Haha. That was funny, girl. So I should be grateful. For what exactly? The fact that I lost my old job and all my money? My reputation and my friends? Hmm?"

The guy in his late forties took a step forward with each reproach. Julie tensed up inside, but didn't back off, even if it took some effort to overcome.

"No. You should be grateful that you didn't end up in jail where you actually belong."

No sooner had the words been spoken than Martin took a last long step towards her, slamming a flat hand on the wall next to Julie's head. Her eyes widened in shock and she realized that she hadn't noticed how Martin had cut off her escape route.

The wall on her back felt relentless and cold. From the corner of her eye she could see that they were standing in the darkest corner of the video store, which even the surveillance cameras couldn't reach. 'Damned bastard...'

As her mind circled around a way out of this predicament, Martin's hard eyes very slowly wandered down her body. He grinned suggestively.

"You know, dollface, as shitty the negotiations and meetings with your snob daddy were, it was always satisfying to watch you in the background when you graced us with your presence. How you always played with your golden hair when you were on the phone. Or how you chewed on your full lips when you read something exciting in a book..."

Julie felt sick hearing his monologue.  
She had suspected from the start that this man was a filthy swine, only she didn't know what nasty perverse thoughts he actually had.

Martin's other hand had leaned the broom against the wall and was slowly moving towards Julie's face. "You know, I wonder what else your lips can do..."

Now Julie clearly wanted to throw up.

Before he could touch her with his greasy fingers, Julie quick-wittedly kicked the broom next to her, which hit the floor with a loud noise.

"Hmm? Is everything all right, Samuel?" The saving voice of the stupid female cashier behind a shelf sounded like music in Julie's ears.  
With Martin momentarily distracted, Julie reacted at lightning speed and pushed her knee powerfully into his groin area.

"Ahhhh...!" His face contorted with pain and he cringed. Pushing him firmly away from her, Julie put a few steps of distance between them and pointed her forefinger threateningly in his direction. "Stay the hell away from me, dirtbag, or the prison will still get a new inmate after all."

Martin had straightened up again with a groan, grimacing in a disgusting smile. "Hehe. The doll has more strength than I expected. Hmm, I'll remember that…"

Julie shivered.

Behind him, his female colleague came around the corner questioningly. After a scrutinizing look towards the distant surveillance cameras, Martin grinned and said in a cheerful sing-song: "Please visit us again soon, Miss Campbell."

Without taking another look at this creep, Julie quickly left the video store.

The afternoon was just as unspectacular as the morning. During basketball training, Julie was particularly involved in getting rid of any excess energy from her unwanted meeting with Samuel Martin.  
'That damned bastard,' Julie thought angrily. 'Dad shouldn't have represented him. He should have shit on his dirty money!'  
Once turning around her own axis, she passed the ball to her team partner with more force than intended.

> _He will get what he deserves_ , the dark voice in her head announced. _You'll see…_

The boys' team trained on the basketball court next door and whistled after the girls from time to time. Out of the corner of her eye, Julie saw Brad desperately trying to get her attention, but she ignored him. Her thoughts were already centered around the next item on the agenda, which she inwardly called _dinner of horror_.

Nevertheless, Julie scored the most points for her team again.


	2. Chapter 2

**A** fter a quick shower, Julie reached the "Chez Herbert" at a little after 6 pm. She smoothed her shirt again, taking a deep breath to prepare herself.  
'Let's get it over with,' she thought, and strode through the wooden front door.

"Oh ma chère Juliette. Comment ça va?" she was greeted by the smiling namesake of the restaurant in French.

"Bon soir, Herbert. Ça va bien et vous?" she answered charmingly and let him take off her jacket.

"Merci, très bien aussi. Your family has already taken a seat."

Julie nodded and followed him to the back of the restaurant.

The star of the evening, framed by her smiling parents, sat at the head of the pompously decorated dining table.  
Julie had to admit that Gen looked stunning as always. She had draped her long silver blonde hair into a complicated updo and was wearing a Chanel designer dress. Her color-matched fingernails and diamond earrings gleamed in the candlelight while her gaze turned to her younger sister.

"Hello Juliette." Her voice was full of self-confidence.

Julie couldn't help but stuck her chin out defiantly, looking straight up at her. "Hi Gen."

"Juliette, full names please. And why are you late? I asked you to be on time, didn't I?" Her mother approached her directly without even a proper greeting.

"Oh, don't worry, mother. It's only ten minutes," Gen replied soothingly.

"Hmm. I thought I would have brought you up better, Juliette." Her mother grimaced disapprovingly.

'Maybe you should have been more physically present for that, mother,' Julie thought cynically, but smiled coolly. "I'm sorry for being late. Basketball training took longer today."

Her father acknowledged the apology with a smile on his part and asked her to sit down.

"You are coming at exactly the right moment, Juliette. Genevieve was just about to tell us about her stop in Rome."

Like a model entering the catwalk, Gen smiled broadly and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "Oh yes, indeed. Rome is a fantastic city, Juliette. You would love it there. I took so many photos because each setting was more beautiful than the other."

Their parents hung on her lips like bees on honey.

Julie did not miss the hidden undertone in her sister's voice that mocked her. That said that she would never see Rome. That she would never get out of Ormond. Julie snorted inwardly. 'Just you wait, sis. You'll see. I'll get out of Ormond. At the latest in a year when I'm of legal age and have my graduation. Then I'm gonna take so many photos in and outside of Rome that you can't keep up with counting!'

Starters and main courses were served during the seemingly endless monologues of Gen. After a while, Julie couldn't stand the bragging of her older sister anymore and switched to autopilot. She let the events of the day pass in review, especially wondering how Susie and Joey were doing. She planned to call them both right after dessert and see if everything was alright.

"...and since you will soon become a real adult, we think it is the right thing to strongly recommend this path to you, Juliette."

Jumping from her thoughts, Julie put down the fork with which she had poked listlessly in her Camembert. "Um...what?"

Her mother rolled her eyes at her choice of words and exhorted her. "Young lady, are you actually listening to us when we talk to you? It's about your future, dear. This is an important issue!"

"Well, of course it is." Julie's eyes widened joyfully, now that the topic of conversation was finally one that concerned her and not Gen.

"I already have plans. Mum, dad, you both know that I've been on the basketball team since freshman year and have held the position of captain since sophomore year. Our coach said that I am talented and that I have the necessary measurements. Although 1.77 m is not the optimal size, I make up for it with agility and technique. I've got my eye on a couple of sports colleges in the United States. One of my favorites is…"

"Juliette ..." Her father interrupted her and her smile died at the expression on his face. "That was not what we imagined for you, dear."

"We thought that after you graduated from high school, you could study something reasonable like accounting here at the city college around the corner and then start working at Wilson Enterprises."

Julie dropped her jaw at the words of her mother. 'Accounting? City college around the corner? Wilson Enterprises aka Brad's Dad's company? She can't be serious, can she?! That's a joke. That's gotta be a joke!'

But then Julie had to remind herself that her mother didn't know anything about humor. Her father's silence also confirmed the seriousness of her statement.

"No. No way." Julie replied firmly, shaking her head to underline her statement.

"Juliette..." Her mother looked at her like she used to, when she admonished her as a little girl. "We only want what is best for you. Your grades are good, but not consistently above average like your sister's to study at a foreign college. And in basketball, only the top players make it. You need down-to-earthness in your life, dear. Your friends don't really give you that, do they?"

Julie winced. Her mother was allowed to look down on her, if she needed to, but her friends aka Susie and Joey were off limits. The two were the only ones who had ever understood her, valued her, made her laugh, loved her unconditionally.

Clenching her hands under the table, Julie had to try very hard swallowing a snappy answer to her mother. Her eyes wandered to her sister. Gen smiled silently, enjoying the show. Yes, she smiled. _That's it._

Julie abruptly got up from the table and grabbed her jacket. "I need some fresh air," was all she got out before turning on the heel and heading for the restaurant exit, ignoring her parents' calls behind her.

The sun was just setting, her last warm rays illuminating Julie's face as she paced restlessly up and down the side street next to the restaurant.

'What are they thinking?!' she thought angrily and kicked an empty beer can away from her. 'I'm no longer a small child. I don't need patronizing. I can decide for myself what I want and don't want to do. And I'm definitely not gonna be the pretty little secretary under Mr. Wilson's feet!'

> _It's the way it always was. They don't trust you. They never did. Always just Gen..._

The voice in her head sounded distorted thanks to her loud footsteps on the asphalt.

Finally, she leaned against the cool brick wall, pulled a cigarette out of her jacket pocket and lit it. She sucked nicotine deep into her lungs trying to get down. Her biology teacher had always tried to talk her out of smoking because otherwise she would die earlier. Too bad her motto was live fast, die young.

She sighed deeply. 'I shouldn't go in anymore. They don't miss me anyway. They have Gen for their entertainment. They don't need anyone else.' She took another puff and stared at the sky as if the answers to her problems were hidden among the clouds. In the distance, she could see the great Mount Ormond fading in the dim light.

"Here you are. Mum and Dad are not thrilled that you just disappeared so brusquely." 

> _Speak of the devil and it shall appear._

Julie took a last puff of her cigarette, stubbed it out on the floor with her boots, and turned to her sister.

"You should go back in. It's chilly outside, Gen."

Gen's hair glittered in the rising moonlight as she took a few steps toward Julie. "You know, Mum and Dad just want you to be around them so they can keep a close eye on you."

„Yeah, and that's exactly the problem." Julie grated her teeth. "They let you travel around the world and go to Harvard while they want to put me under constant surveillance."

"Well, there are many answers to that, but the most likely one is in the past..."

Julie's eyes narrowed at the words. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Gen smiled, but it wasn't a warm smile. It was freezing cold like the night that fell over Ormond. "I think it's time that you find out who you are. Who you really are, Julie."

It was the first time in her life that Gen called her Julie. She stared at her questioningly.

"I was in Dad's office before dinner. I wanted to say goodbye to everyone and take Dad's favorite civil law code, which he gifted me for the beginning of my studies. And there I found something very interesting on his desk. Must be the nostalgia now that you are about to turn 17..."

Julie couldn't follow, couldn't understand her clearly, but her heart was still beating faster by the second. It boomed in her ears as she stood in front of Gen, staring deep into her light blue eyes. "What the hell do you mean?"

Without a word, Gen reached into her purse and took out an envelope, which she handed over to her. "See for yourself. It's better if you see it instead of just hearing it."

Her cold words made Julie shiver. She tore open the envelope, revealing several documents and a photo. A photo of a baby with dark blonde hair and emerald green eyes. A photo of herself!

Her eyes widened in surprise and she raised her head. Gen had her thin arms crossed over her chest, looking at her expectantly.

Julie had a dark premonition. She swallowed hard and slowly began reading the first document, a newspaper article from a tabloid dating from 16 years ago.

_Breaking News: Serial killer couple killed - Canada finally free of the Kostenkos._

_This morning, the Canadian forces managed to take out the gruesome Kostenko couple during a robbery. This finally puts an end to the years of terror caused by the Kostenkos. But their bloodline lives on: After the operation, the police searched the shelter of the serial killers and discovered a small crying baby, the Kostenko's daughter of just six months. According to official reports, the girl had a heart-shaped chain with the name JULIE around her neck. We will keep you updated, dear citizens._

Julie found it difficult to breathe. Stunned, she grabbed the next document, another newspaper article from the same tabloid, only months later.

S _erial killers' daughter adopted - The end of the Kostenkos?_

_After wild speculations and rumors about the now one-year-old orphan, a still unknown family in Canada decided to take her into their care and adopt her. Since then the child has disappeared from the public eye. No one knows where the girl named Julie currently is. Fact is that the spirit of the Kostenkos is still with us, only hidden under a different name._

Julie's hand trembled slightly as she pulled out the last piece of paper that completed the puzzle.

_Confirmation of adoption - Dear Mrs. and Mr. Campbell, I am pleased to inform you that Juliette is now officially a full member of the Campbell family. I am sure that she will find a great home with you and will be grateful for your immense generosity…_

Julie stared at the letters until they blurred before her eyes. 'Adopted? A Kostenko? Daughter of dead serial killers?' Her mind was racing.

She thought of her secret scrapbook filled with major serial killers, hidden under her bed. She had heard of the Kostenko name before, but had given little importance to it. How wrong she was...

"Well, now you know." She looked up and stared at Gen's moonlit face, that eyed her coolly.

"Mom and Dad never wanted to tell you. They are probably afraid that you will become like your killer parents or worse, go to the press and ruin our flawless reputation."

> _Our flawless reputation, she says._

Julie's stiffness slowly subsided. Instead, other feelings came up in her: clarity, disappointment and anger.  
Clarity because she finally understood why she had always felt like an outsider in her own family.  
Disappointment because her parents, no adoptive parents, were too cowardly and selfish to tell her anything about her true origins.  
Anger because she was doomed from the start to try and please her adoptive parents to be valued and loved by them. They had always seen her as the child of killers who could and would never match a real Campbell like Gen.

"How long have you known?" Julie's hands clenched into fists and her breathing became harder.

Gen didn't notice because she was too busy holding her manicured fingernails against the moonlight.  
"For a few years now. But what difference does it make? You were just my parents' charity project. You never had the grace of a Campbell. You don't look like me or Mum and Dad in any way. The fact that you didn't think you were adopted yourself only shows how dense you are. Or how naive and desperate in your endeavor to please my parents and outshine their real daughter. A game lost from the start, pitiful little Julie."

> _My parents, she says. Oh yes, the pretty bitch finally shows her true colors. Time to teach her a lesson..._

Julie's eyes narrowed to slits. She repressed the incoming pain and instead concentrated on her contempt and hatred of her supposed older sister. Yes, hate. And it made Julie see red.

Quick like a cheetah, Julie jumped up to Gen and pushed her against the brick wall, hard. The documents that had turned Julie's whole life upside down fluttered silently on the dirty floor of the side street.

Completely unprepared for Julie's attack, Gen dropped her purse and groaned in pain as Julie's fingernails painfully pierced her fragile shoulders.

"You always thought you were better than everyone else, didn't you, Genevieve? God's gift to humanity, right?" Her voice was dripping with mockery and rage.

When Genevieve tried to reply, Julie cut off her air supply, enjoying the way she squeaked like a pig before slaughter.

"Small reality check, bitch: Just because you were lucky enough to grow up in a rich family that loves you and gives you everything you want doesn't make you a special person. There are umpteen times smarter women and men out there than you, who have achieved their goal with only half the size of your ego and capital assets. With will and hard work. But you have no idea of these attributes, you stupid spoiled brat!"

It felt so good to finally vocal her opinion of Genevieve and let all the emotions out that had accumulated over the years with Julie. It was like a liberation, and with Genevieve's frightened expression, Julie couldn't help but smile. Her higher physical strength held her pressed against the wall. She was at her mercy.

> _That's how it feels to be in control, to be respected, to be feared. At last…_

"But don't worry, big sister," Julie said sarcastically, holding Genevieve's scared look hostage. "You'll find out all of this yourself. When you start at Harvard. Alone. On your own. Without Mummy and Daddy who will rub your back with their money and influence on every problem. Over there, you're just an insignificant little fish among many…"

With a last firm pressure on her hands, Julie released her. Gen slid down the wall onto the floor, trembling all over. Her light blue eyes stared up into Julie's piercing green ones as if she were a total stranger. "Who... are.... you...?"

Julie smirked, her eyes flashing. "Someone you don't wanna cross ever again..."

And with that, she turned, got into her car, and drove away.

* * *

**J** ulie's exhilaration continued for a while as she drove aimlessly through the city with the radio turned up and the window rolled down. A famous rock anthem rumbled in her ears, numbing her senses, while the cold wind ruffled her blonde waves, but Julie didn't care. There was complete chaos inside.

Without realizing, she had entered the driveway to Susie's house. She got out and was about to ring the doorbell when she heard a bright laugh from the tilted kitchen window.  
Julie slowly walked up to it and peeked inside. Inside, the entire Williams family was sitting at the dining table: Susie, her mom, and her dad. And they were happy. Peaceful almost. Susie's dad was just pouring wine for his wife and apparently making a joke, because Susie was already laughing again. Her long pink hair wiggled back and forth as her mother smiled contently at her husband.

Julie swallowed hard. She was happy for her best friend that she could finally have a quiet normal evening with her family, despite all the problems they had. Julie didn't want to destroy this little idyll with her own problems and slowly but surely retreated from the light of the kitchen back into the shadows.

When she got back in the car, she called Joey's phone number. After three rings, the mailbox answered:

"Hey Jules. I know that you wanted to call me, but I'm not allowed to use my phone at my current location, sorry. My mom overdosed. She's in the hospital and since I'm the only family member she has left… well. I'll call you first thing tomorrow, alright? Hope you're doing well and the dinner with your old folks and the ice queen was somewhat bearable. Miss you, troublemaker."

Julie stared into space, her face baring no expressions. It took her a few seconds before she put the phone down. Shortly afterwards, an incoming call from her father appeared on the display. Her catatonic state evaporated at a stroke. Furious and frustrated, she switched off her cell phone and threw it on the passenger seat.

She didn't want to think, she wanted to act. She needed to let off some steam, urgently. This was best done through physical activity.

Her first thought was to visit Brad. It would be so easy to seduce him with her smoky voice. To fuck him in his hundred dollar king size bed until all anger was completely out of her system.  
But she quickly rejected the thought. He wouldn't think of it as meaningless sex, but as proof that she had finally succumbed to his irresistible charms.

Julie rolled her eyes. 'No thanks to more drama. So, running it is.'

Without further hesitation, she put the car into gear and drove out through the pitchblack night to the urban sports field on the outskirts of town.

The wind whistled loudly around her ears as she ran her tracks. She ran faster and faster, as if trying to escape an invisible enemy. Or maybe not so invisible. She ran away from her destructive feelings that were catching up to her: The irritation. The bottomlessness. The pain.

She ran even faster. The outlines of the surrounding bleachers and trees blurred. Her muscles burned with exertion, but she kept going. 'Don't let them catch up...'

Eventually she was overcome with exhaustion. She slowed her sprint, leaning forward, arms on her knees. She gasped loudly in the dark, but no one else was here. She was alone. Alone...

For the second time this evening, Julie stared up at the sky. The stars sparkled like diamonds. "You look the same from everywhere, don't you?" Julie whispered to them. "If I make an effort, I can imagine that I'm not here in Ormond, but somewhere else entirely. Somewhere better. Far, far away…" She reached out and took a deep breath.

> _Far, far away…_

Crack! Julie whirled around at the sudden sound.

She narrowed her eyes and saw a single car driving around the corner. The headlights went out when it stopped not far from her own car and a man with a beer belly got out of the driver's side. When he stepped into the light of the street lamp, Julie recognized the man as Clive Andrews, a well-known drunk who lived in a dilapidated bungalow across town. He seemed to be muttering something and gesturing to the open kiosk across the street.

As he moved away, a second man climbed out of the passenger side and stretched his arms. He stood with his back to her, but Julie immediately recognized that he was not from here.

He was about 1.85 m tall, had a wiry-muscular build and short brown hair. He wore dark jeans and a lined leather jacket similar to Julie's.  
As if he could feel her eyes on him, he turned abruptly and stared at her. Her heart leapt. A large tattoo of a grinning, burning skull was emblazoned on his neck and his eyes were as green as emeralds. Just like hers...

She had never experienced such intense eye contact with another person before. None of them said a word. Finally, the mysterious stranger began to walk towards her while examining her closely from head to toe.

Julie has never felt so perceived as right now.

He looked fun, free and rebellious. Julie knew he had _dangerous bad boy_ written all over him, but she didn't care. More so, she was intrigued.

His step was determined and confident. He knew he was attractive, which only impressed Julie even more.

"You are new here," she stated loudly as he stopped a few steps away from her.

His eyes found hers again. "What gave it away?"

His voice was deep and rough, but pleasant in Julie's ears. 'He is definitely older than me...', she thought. 'But not much older.'

She gave him a knowing smile. "I know almost everyone here in the city. Your driver Clive Andrews too. The question is rather, what do you want here in Ormond? Not the best place to settle down if you ask me."

He laughed softly and returned her smile. "Is that so? Unfortunately, I had no say in the matter. This guy is my new foster father."

'Foster father?' Julie paused. 'So he's an orphan. Like me…' Her new reality still made her shiver involuntarily.

This did not escape the attentive stranger. "You aren't cold. Something happened, didn't it? Somebody hurt you..."

His striking face showed no signs of bad will. Julie's eyes widened. Was she really that easy to see through in a vulnerable state? Or was this stranger just really good at reading people?

She hesitated, but after looking into his intense eyes once again, she replied. "You could say that. Do you know the feeling when your whole foundation on which you've built your identity is suddenly torn away? You no longer know who you really are and just feel lonely and abandoned?"

Hearing her words, he dropped his eyes and was silent for a moment. The only sound around them was the rustling of the wind in the treetops.

Before Julie could scold herself for boldly entrusting her inner feelings to a complete stranger, his firm voice broke the silence of the night. "Yes. I know only too well how it feels…"

Again their eyes met and it was like a lightning strike. Julie's heart pounded loudly in her ears. 'What's going on?' She was confused by her body's reaction, but she couldn't deny the instant connection between the two of them. For a moment, Julie felt like her soul was looking into a mirror. 'Who are you?'

Before she could ask her question out loud, they were disturbed by a croaky voice coming from the parked cars.

"Hey boy! I have my stuff, so swing your ass over here. It's freezing cold and I wanna go home." Clive Andrews stowed a six pack of beer in the back seat and glowered at him. At Julie's sight, he just snorted. "Say goodbye to your new girlfriend. Tell her you'll see her back at school soon enough." With that, he unceremoniously got into the car and slammed the door shut.

The handsome stranger just shook his head with a contemptuous smile at the behavior of the older man, turning his attention back to Julie. "Looks like I have to go. A shame..." 

Julie's heartbeat didn't slow down. "You'll go to Ormond High too?" Her voice sounded more hopeful than she had intended.

"Yeah. Tomorrow's my first day. Are people cool?"

"Not really. Most of them are rich snobs, born with a golden spoon in their mouths."

"Holy shit, no." He shortly made a gagging sound, before grinning knowingly. "But you're not like that, are you?" he said, taking another step towards her.  
He was standing so close to her now that Julie could take in his fragrance. He smelled spicy and woody like nature itself. A comfortable shiver ran down her spine.

"No. This city doesn't deserve my friends and me. You will like them."

He grinned wider. He seemed to like the use of the word _will_ rather than _would_.

"I'm looking forward to it. And what's the name of the pretty girl who'll introduce me?"

Julie smiled, holding out her hand to him. "Julie. Julie Kostenko."

"Julie…" He repeated the word like a caress, which sent another pleasant shiver down her spine. "Pleased to meet you. I'm Frank. Frank Morrison."

And when he took her hand and Julie's skin was buzzing with electricity, all negative feelings about the Campbell's betrayal and her descent from real serial killers disappeared.  
All she felt was excitement, anticipation and hope. She could use this charismatic outsider to get out of Ormond as a back up plan. He could be her ticket out of here. Maybe more than that. Maybe her encounter with Frank was fate. She was finally in the right place at the right time and the voice in her head was dancing joyfully.


End file.
